JOHN STERGIDES SNR FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR ELECTROCOIN – 2022 REVIEW

It was “overall a great year for us” explained industry veteran John Stergides snr, and made all the stronger by top performing products and an expansion into redemption. But beware, the industry sage says, the value of sterling and stuttering delivery are still threats for 2023

Coinslot: How would you look back on 2022?

John Stergides snr: 2022 was overall a great year for us as we have been expanding more into redemption rather than just gaming. We also had some great pinball games from Stern including the latest title James Bond.

Coinslot: What have been your highlights and causes for concern over the year?

 John Stergides snr: We have been waiting for some news on the White Paper, which will hopefully be released early in the New Year. That will give us a stronger indication as to how 2023 will pan out. On the product side, one big highlight was our shooting game – Skill Shooter and also the Mr Do Air Balls. As for our concerns and negatives, the main one has been the drop of the Sterling GBP, by nearly 20-30 percent. Unfortunately this affected us and many in the industry as we have to pay our overseas suppliers in advance to make sure we receive our deliveries before Easter. From a planning perspective, this is a tough challenge; production to delivery in the UK can be up to 6 months.

Coinslot: How have you risen to the challenges and what new developments have you introduced to rebuild and strengthen your business?

John Stergides snr: We’ve managed to overcome numerous challenges and are in a position where we are now developing more new games, taking advantage of our over 50 years’ experience in the industry. We are developing more ticket redemption, video games and gaming machines for Cat C and B4.

Coinslot: What objectives have you set the company for 2023?

John Stergides snr: To expand the world of play. This will be via new games and innovative concepts. Obviously, we want 2023 to be better than 2022 and we are confident that this is possible with the games being developed.

Coinslot: Are you confident or cautious about the next twelve months: what are the challenges and where are the opportunities?

John Stergides snr: Yes we are confident about the next 12 months, as we have a good range of equipment and are expanding our workforce as we seek new challenges and take on new opportunities.

Coinslot: EAG and a probable new gambling bill will kick off the New Year. What are you hoping from both?

John Stergides snr: EAG is the starting point and we are excited to be exhibiting a number of new products including a pusher, prize vend, photobooth and a good range of pinballs including the latest title James Bond. Pinballs are coming back into fashion and are being added to operations all over the country. However, to make them work, it’s best to be a minimum of 3 in a row. We are keeping a close watch on the new gambling bill. Even though it will be a long time before anything is implemented, we hope that it will be a step in the right direction bringing online at least on a par with land-based regulations. For that reason, we have been working with Ace Gaming developing and testing a new Cat C and B4 product at EAG.

Coinslot – December 30th 2022 – January 5th 2023 – Issue 2817 – Pages 24-25